Published 9:11 am, Tuesday, February 11, 2014

"I mean this is stuff that that you do in a banana republic," Krauthammer said Monday on Fox News' "Special Report."

"It's as if the law is simply a blackboard on which Obama writes any number he wants, any delay he wants, and any provision. It' s now reached a point where it is so endemic that nobody even notices or complains."

The Obama administration announced on Monday that it will delay the mandate's penalty for small businesses with 50-99 workers. It will also adjust some of the requirements for larger employers.

Under the new Treasury Department rules, businesses with 100 employees or more must offer coverage to at least 70% of full-time workers in 2015 and 95% in 2016, or face a penalty.

It's the second consecutive year the Obama administration has delayed part of the employer mandate, amid concerns from the small-business community about the health-care law's effect on business. Krauthammer's "banana republic" comment stemmed from the notion that it was meant to assuage business concerns ahead of the 2014 midterm elections.

"It's changing a law in the way that you are not allowed to do," Krauthammer said.

The administration took pains to emphasize that the change will not affect many people, as about 96% of employers are not currently subject to the mandate.